Authors: Vickie Johnstone

I Dream of Zombies (39 page)

Ellen nodded with a smile as she glanced at the sleeping Ruth. “I hope she’s going to be alright.”

“She’ll be fine with you.”

“
Robert seems nice,” Ellen added. “I hope everyone is that friendly.”

Tommy nodded. “He s
eems so, but I’d feel more comfortable if he let me keep my gun. Can we trust these people?”

Marla shrugged. “Do we have any choice?”

“I guess not.”

“Look, if we don’t like it, I’m sure we can leave…”

Ellen’s eyes widened. “And go where? At least here there is a massive fence and guards. I feel safe.”

“Me, too,” Marla agreed. “I think we should give it a chance. Life has been so crazy lately that we are all paranoid.
We’ve been outside with those things for far too long.”

“You’re right,” said Tommy. “
What am I thinking? I’m looking forward to getting some kip without worrying about freaks jumping me, although Barney might give me a run for my money!”

Marla grinned. “Ah, he’s a good kid.”

“Yeah, he reminds me of my son a bit and he’s starting to come out of his shell after everything that’s happened. It amazes me how strong he is.”

Marla
stepped forward and gave the big man a hug. “Thanks Tommy. I’m so relieved we made it here. I don’t think we could have got here without you.”

Feeling lost for words for a moment,
Tommy simply nodded awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll see you girls in a week then. Don’t miss me too much,” he joked, before slipping inside his room. The sound of Bob barking softly sailed out.

Ellen leaned against the doorframe of her own room and glanced inside.
The walls were painted white and there was a wooden floor with a rug in the centre. Two beds sat at opposite sides of the room, each covered in white sheets and with two pillows. There was a window at the far end, framed by black curtains. The room also contained a wardrobe with two drawers beneath it, a desk and a table, complete with a notebook and two pens. A red button perched on the wall, labelled ‘Help’. Ellen spotted another door inside, which she assumed led to the sink and toilet that Robert mentioned.

“I
t’s better than I was expecting,” said Marla, “and I guess we appreciate the small things now.”

Ellen
smiled warmly. “I think I’m going to fall asleep straight away. I’m going to miss you. Going to be weird not seeing you for a whole week.”

“
I know, but it’s for the best and it might go quickly. We’ll have proper food…”

“You’re so practical thinking!”

Marla laughed. “Seriously, I’m going to miss you loads, little sis, and Tommy. I’m just putting on a brave face. I’m not used to being alone now.”

Ellen leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “See you soon, Marl. It feels
strange to be able to go to sleep without worrying about those things outside.”

“
I know. We’re lucky. I hope all goes well with the little one.”

Smiling,
Ellen glanced at the still sleeping Ruth. “Me too, and I’m hoping our nightmares will stop now that we feel safe.”

Marla
kissed her back. “Night, little sis, sleep well.”

Turning away, she
waved to Robert before heading into her own room. Closing the door, she leaned back against it and surveyed the clean, neat space. This would be her home for the next week; a time of silent reflection and waiting. Taking off her heavy boots and dirty socks, she walked barefoot across the cool wooden floorboards and gazed out of the window across the sea of green beyond. It was still. Peaceful. Beautiful.

Breathing in deeply, Marla stretched her arms above her head
as a feeling of blissful calm washed over her, and she smiled briefly as her thoughts turned to Tommy. She would miss him. Over the past weeks she had felt closer to him than anyone, apart from her sister. The journey to Haven had been long and arduous, but it had been worth it in the end. Now there was nothing to fear; the dead were far away, and she could imagine they no longer existed.

While
Marla had no idea what the future held for them all, it now appeared brighter, more colourful, and the three of them were together. She gazed up at the dying sun one last time before drawing the curtains. It was time to sleep, secure in the knowledge that nothing would disturb it and that the dead could only harm her in her dreams.

To be continued in book 2:
Haven.

Thank you for buying this book. I hope you enjoyed it.

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About the author:

Vickie Johnstone is the author of 14 books. She lives in London, UK, where she works as a layout sub editor on magazines and enjoys editing self-published novels. Some day she hopes to live by the sea with some cute fluffy cats and a lifetime supply of Milky Bar chocolate. One of her children’s books,
Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle
, was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards 2013.

Books by the author:

3 Heads & a Tail

The Sea Inside
(Cerulean Songs, book 1)

I Dream of Zombies
(book 1)

Haven
(I Dream of Zombies, book 2) – coming in May 2014

The Kiwi Series

Kiwi in Cat City (book 1)

Kiwi and the Missing Magic (book 2)

Kiwi and the Living Nightmare (book 3)

Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle (book 4)

Kiwi in the Realm of Ra (book 5)

Kiwi’s Christmas Tail (book 6)